Blood of the covenant
by Mantis-Shrimp1
Summary: The Heylin dragons- Kimiko, Raimundo, Clay, and Omi- had finally rid themselves of their old leader, Fung, and have gained independence. However, everything comes with a price, and the dragons struggle to deal with the after-effects, especially when it concerns one of their team members. [An XS AU]
1. Prologue

**Hey everybody, nice to meet you! This story was inspired by a Xiaolin Showdown AU that sprung up on Dragonnutt's tumblr, and I give credit to everyone who contributed to contributed to the AU.**

 **This AU details a role swap between the heroes and villains, so the monks are now vicious Heylin warriors and Jack, Wuya and Chase fight to stop them. For the sake of this story Fung is the abusive leader of the Heylin monks, until said monks overthrow him and banish him to the yin-yang world. This story takes place a few days after the monks defeat Fung.**

 **This is my first fic, so constructive criticism is appreciated, hope everybody enjoys!**

Prologue

The Xiaolin temple, home of the infamous elemental dragons, was unusually quiet, a fact that was starting to give Kimiko the creeps. Maybe "starting to" was a little generous, as Kimiko had been pacing on the fireproof mat (controversially dubbed "The hot spot", courtesy of Raimundo) for the past few hours. The mat was the only thing in the temple that could withstand Kimiko's relentless temper, and as such, where she could be found whenever Kimiko needed time to herself. This time was no exception, and with each brisk step she took, she couldn't help but focus on the unnerving silence that filled the temple.

2 hours ago concentrating had been easier, as she could listen to Raimundo and Clay as they wrestled for the TV remote in the other room. Clay had gotten tired of watching _Mean Girls_ for what was going to be the 4th time, and Rai refusing to watch Clay's choice-a figure skating competition. Even without seeing anything, it was easy to tell the outcome, with Raimundo's loud complaints fading into the quiet conversation between contest judges. While grateful for distraction and twice so for not having to listen to _Mean Girls_ again, which at that rate had been slowly driving Kimiko insane, the boys had eventually got bored and went back to their rooms, leaving the temple almost entirely devoid of noise, save the sound of Kimiko's relentless pacing.

Quiet days like this were treasured days back in Tokyo, rare breaks from Kimiko's hectic life as a semi-celebrity, giving her time to unwind from stressful or busy days and think over problems. The temple however, was unpleasantly different. Kimiko scowled as she recalled what quiet days meant for her new home, typically a result of Fung being in a fowl mood. While Fung didn't usually hit the monks, he was relentless when he was angry, and before the monks earned traveling Shen Gon Wu, and eventually learned to fight back, the monks had quickly learned to swallow their collective prides and lock themselves in one of the bedrooms, taking turns playing _Goo Zombie 2._ Even a few days after overthrowing Fung it was hard to enjoy silent days.

Still, it wasn't just memories of Fung that had made the day so tense.

' _That would be giving the bastard to much credit.'_ She internally growled. Besides, having banished Fung to the yin-yang world meant they wouldn't be dealing with him any time soon.

' _Even goody two shoes Jack Spicer will hesitate to bring him back. Aside from him, Chase Young would be the most likely to try and organize a rescue, but with how vehemently he fought Fung, I got a feeling he's not going to organize a rescue mission anytime soon. Even if someone wanted to save Fung, they would need the monk's yang yo-yo.'_

Kimiko's flinty eyes narrowed into slits, as she silently cursed Dashi for making his Wu so hard to break, leaving the monks with the burden of guarding the damned yo-yo, which currently was hidden separately from the rest of the Wu, stored amongst Raimundo's towering mountain of hair care, where even the monks had trouble finding it. The whole thing was a hassle, but remembering the first night after beating Fung, the four of them staying up til midnight, partying until they crashed without having to worry about getting in trouble, Kimiko couldn't find it in her to regret the whole affair.

' _It was the first night in forever the four of us had fun without worrying.'_ She recalled fondly. ' _Still, nothing good lasts…._ '

An abrupt series of knocks coming from her bedroom door broke Kimiko's concentration, and as she turned to glare at the offender, Raimundo was pushed through the door, a few pizza boxes in hand,

yelping "Don't shoot, we come come bearing gifts!" With that proclamation he dramatically held the pizza boxes in front of him like a shield, while Clay lingered by the door, looking ready to bolt at any given moment. Kimiko snorted and grabbed one of these boxes, with her name hastily scribbled on it, and opened it eyebrows raised, surprised, and she gave a small smirk as she held up a slice of pizza.

"Natto pizza? You boys must be really worried." Kimiko was the only one in the temple who enjoyed Natto pizza, the fermented soy beans covered by melted cheese being an acquired taste even back in Japan, and it was usually only brought to her if one of the boys was trying to redeem themselves, or if they were simply trying to cheer her up.

Curious to discover which objective the two had in mind, Kimiko didn't immediately ask them, instead moving to a circular cloth less table, putting her pizza down and inviting her friends to join her. Clay and Raimundo, who'd been quietly gauging her mood, visibility relaxed and sat down with her. They all sat quietly for a few minutes, Kimiko waiting for the boys to start whatever discussion they deemed dangerous enough to have brought food to pacify herself. It was Raimundo who finally started, after he'd gulped down the remainder of his hawaiian style pizza and been warned from stealing any of Clays triple meat pizza via a growl from the cowboy. After grumbling a little, he shrugged it off and asked Kimiko casually

"You've been in your room for a while, you up to something, or just ticked off?"

Clay roughly elbowed Raimundo, glaring at him for a second before Turning to Kimiko and drawing in a bit of air.

"What Rai here meant was the two of us Wanted to make sure all's good."

He confessed sheepishly. "Thing's been hectic lately for sure, with Fung gone, dealing with the yo-yo, having to lay low for a bit, and then with…."

Clay trailed off, staring down at his meal with a unreadable expression and pushing the remainders to Raimundo, seemingly having lost his appetite.

Raimundo didn't touch the food, instead meeting Kimiko's now cold eyes with his own unapologetic stare.

"You've been avoiding us for the entire day" Raimundo flatly pointed out.

"It doesn't take a lot of brains to piece together that it's because of Omi."

The room had become suddenly quiet, the forbidden topic having finally been breached. Kimiko slammed the lid of the pizza box down, but when she replied her voice was crisply controlled.

"It has nothing to do with him. As you know I have lots of work to do, with setting up the new security system, planning battle strategies, keeping everyone else from finding out what we did to Fung-"

Kimiko was cut off by Raimundo's loud snort.

"Nice try Kim, you finished that stuff days ago, stop trying to change the topic!"

Kimiko, in return, snapped "You don't know that!"

Clay, previously watching in stony silence, stared at Kimiko unimpressed and scoffed.

"Sure we do. We helped set up the new system, kept our lips as tight as yours and didn't fall asleep when we went over your new battle idea three days ago. Well, some of us didn't anyway." Finishing dryly with a pointed look towards Raimundo, who in his defense looked slightly embarrassed, Clay returned his attention back to a flustered Kimiko.

"Rai might've charged into that like a bull at a mall Santa, but he's got a point." Having lost that point, Kimiko kicked her feet up on the table with an angry but resigned expression.

"Maybe it is about Omi, so what if it is? Did you think confronting me would make it all go away? Like if we talked about him he just magically come back?"

It was a harsh statement, but the boys didn't flinch or look away. Instead they just sat there, Clay's head tilted upwards, Raimundo's turned to the side, both thinking about what Kimiko had said. Kimiko herself was finally mulling over the subject.

 _It had happened a few days after Fung had banished, after dealing with the evidence and after dealing with the aftermath. Things had seemed to be going well, and after 4 days of hard work, Kimiko had woken up in a fairly good mood, awoken by the smell of scrambled eggs and bacon, courtesy of Clay, Being awake before Raimundo (a typically easy accomplishment) meant the likelihood of having to fight him for the best pieces of food were drastically decreased. That being said, the chances were not impossible, a fact proven when Raimundo woke up a few minutes later, and the two of them fought good-naturedly. Clay had watched on, quietly satisfied, and the three of them had one of the most peaceful mornings the temple had probably seen._

 _The problems arose when Clay refused to give out any more scrambled eggs until someone woke up Omi, who'd likely throw one of his infamous tantrums if he missed out on breakfast. Unfortunately for the other monks, waking their friend up unexpectedly also typically resulted in a tantrum, although a milder version that only one person would have to deal with, making it the lesser of two evils. Since Clay had cooked breakfast he was excused from the draft, and since Kimiko had won the mock fight between herself and Raimundo, it was decided she should be the one to wake Omi. With a mock salute from Clay and faint humming that was reminiscent of funeral music coming from Raimundo, Kimiko flipped the two off, and with an unconcerned grin she left to wake her friend._

 _When she reached Omi's room, she leaned against the wall, stretching slowly in anticipation of the sprint she might have to take if this wake up went wrong. Knocking loudly on the bedroom door she yelled "Up and at em' brat, you're late for breakfast, and Clay won't let us eat anymore without you, so you better get up!" Expecting the muffled growls of a crabby child, Kimiko was met with silence. She paused for a minute, mildly surprised at the lack of response, before deciding he had ignored her and she knocked even louder. "I know you heard me you lil shit, don't act like you don't hear me!" When Omi still didn't react Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Alright twerp, you asked for it, I'm coming in, so don't get mad at me or anything, you know better than to get between me and my food!" With that proclamation Kimiko yanked the door open and burst into Omi's room._

 _The room was as freakishly tidy as always, a stark comparison with his teammates, Clay being a sort of hoarder with an organization system that nobody could understand, Kimiko only sorting what she had to and leaving everything else as it was, and Raimundo being so messy that it wouldn't be surprising if a thriving ecosystem had settled in his room. Omi was crazy about having everything in perfect order, from his clothes neatly folded and sorted by type and color, to his neatly stacked scrolls, most about history or fighting techniques. While Omi's room could hardly be called empty, it was surprisingly simple, as Omi was rarely overcome with materialistic desire. The only luxury he allowed himself was a waterbed, which he excused himself by claiming he could use it to train his element even after he'd gone to bed. Had anyone else said it, Kimiko would have called BS and teased them. However, as it was Omi, Kimiko had wholeheartedly believed him. (Regardless, she still teased him.) The bed was comfortable and peaceful looking, but when Kimiko reached it she felt a jolt of surprise, as the bed was empty and neatly folded, with a note laying on it. Puzzled, Kimiko picked up the letter and began to read._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _Dear- (something had been written here, but it had been carefully scrawled out. It could have been 'friends' or 'teammates', although less kind labels were usually characteristic of Omi.)_

 _It has now been 5 days since we have taken control of the temple._

 _While I have helped with the repercussions of the take over, I can no longer stay with you, my friends, as I have a new goal to accomplish. For my whole life I have wanted to discover more about my origins, but have abstained from doing so, as Fung believed such sentimental bonds weakened a warrior._

 _After serious consideration, I believe that Fung was correct. My affection for the three of you drove me to commit the dishonorable act of treason against my master, the man who has raised me, and my affections for him almost cost the team victory the night be banished him._

 _('He hesitated.' Kimiko dully remembered. 'He had the yo-yo, but he froze up when we fought Fung. I had to take it from him and use it myself.')_

 _Because of this, I have decided to leave the temple. I am not foolish enough to believe that I can get rid of this sentiment and it will make me detrimental to the team's goal of world conquest. I am admittedly worried about how you all will fare without my amazing talents and skills, but you have proven to be at least mildly competent. Except for Raimundo anyway, but he will have enough support to make him at least slightly formidable in battle._

 _Now that I no longer will participate in world conquest, I have decided to turn my efforts towards finding my real family. I took Dojo to help translate the various dialects and languages of China, as I regrettable do not know all of them._

 _I wish you best in defeating the forces of good and spreading the ways of the Heylin._

 _Omi_

 _Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 _Clay and Raimundo found the letter, crumpled up on Omi's bed, a few minutes later, noting the scorched patch on the floor next to the bed. It took them longer to find Kimiko, but when they did, neither of them could think of anything to say. The rest of the day was silent._

Even a few days later, none of the monks could seem to think of anything to say. Surprisingly it was Clay who spoke up again. "You always think ya see this stuff coming, huh? Especially someone like him."

Countered with dully puzzled looks from Kimiko and Raimundo, Clay hastily continued.

"I just mean he's always been expressive and all, just about as easy to predict as a dog in a butcher shop. I thought this sort of thing would be more noticeable."

Kimiko growled lowly. " Guess we just didn't know him as well as we thought we did."

Raimundo raised an eye. "Nah, he basically called me incompetent, and talked about what a loss it is for the team that he left, sounds like the Omi I know." He dryly remarked.

Kimiko's lips briefly twitched upwards, but quickly pulled down into a scowl again.

"Regardless, if this is all it took for him to sway from the path of evil, maybe it's for the best he went of to find his real goddamn family. Not like we needed him anyway…" Kimiko trailed off, painfully aware of the emphasis she had put 'real', and angry that she wasn't the only one who noticed.

Clay nodded slowly, looking up. "That part really hurt didn't it? I'll admit that it bugged me too, after everything the four of us have gone through, it's painful for him to just disregard it all. Hell, back when I read it all I could think about was clobbern' the brat a few dozen times, and went to blow off steam. It hurt and all, but after a while it stopped buggin' me." Looking back at Kimiko and Raimundo, he continued. "It just kinda hit me, you know? I realized that he wasn't trying to be mean to us. According to his letter, he left for our sake more than his, and that kinda says something in itself. If he was mad at us, he'd of said so, but he didn't. I still don't know if he'll come back, but I got some peace on the subject at least."

Raimundo and Kimiko both sat, quietly pondering this information. After a minute, Raimundo smirked. "Omi never knew how to express his feelings anyway. If we're being honest, what we got was probably a revised draft anyway." Kimiko rolled her eyes and snorted, remarking, "God forbid. You're probably right though, wonder how long he spent writing it?" The three teens snickered, briefly debating the time it took for Omi to write the letter, before falling into a comfortable silence.

Clay hummed thoughtfully, a contemplative look on his face. "I'm still a little peeved at him, but Omi was wrong about being a liability to the team. I might not have stayed if he hadn't changed my mind." Kimiko's eyes shot up, and Raimundo let out a low whistle, before asking "You can't just say something like that and not follow it up! How'd that one happen?"

Clay, already sheepish about making this admission shrugged. Raimundo drew his brows together in concentration, trying to think of a way to coax Clay's story out of the bashful cowboy, before suddenly grinning. He turned to Clay in Kimiko, remarking "How 'bout this, you tell us whatever it is that happened, and Kim and I will share some Omi related story of our own? It could serve as some sort of team therapy exercise!" Clay snorted and Kimiko threw an empty pizza box at Rai, but they both seemed to agree, Kimiko giving a thumbs us, Clay a slow nod. Kimiko and Raimundo turned their attention to Clay. (Raimundo nudged Kimiko snickering. "Good thing the brats not here to hear this, he'd never let us live it down!)" The cowboy briefly seemed unsure of how to start, before he briefly tilted his hat up.

"It was a bit after we got the Star Hanabi from my daddy's ranch….."

 **Updates will be spaced out, and the next chapter (told from Clay's POV) won't be out for a while. Regardless, i'm determined to eventually finish this story, so don't lose hope! Remember that criticisms and comments are welcome!**


	2. Chapter 1- Lonestar

**Hello again! Sorry that this took so long, junior year is really hard and I struggled to balance writing and doing well during the end of 3rd quarter. While I got a lot done over spring break, I had a writing block that I didn't really solve for a while. Regardless, I've finally finished this chapter, which I found very difficult to write due to the characters involved, but I'm fairly satisfied at how Clay and Omi came out. Regardless, any criticism is very appreciated, and welcomed.**

 **I'd like to thank Dragonnutt and the 2 guests who sent reviews for my story, they lit up my day when I read them, and I can't thank you enough!**

 **Before each chapter, I think I'm going to start adding context for how the timeline changes from cannon. For example this story takes place during** " **Big as Texas"** **, but because of the changes created by the dragons being evil, the episode goes differently. Daddy Bailey doesn't go to the temple, instead the dragons only go to him to try and get the Star Hanabi. Here, the dragons learn more about Clay's past, finding out that he ran away from home before being found by Fung and invited into the group. Clay's father still refuses to give his son the heirloom, but says he'll let Clay come home and try and earn it if he denounces his new lifestyle and friends. Clay thinks about it, but decides to steal it instead, and while he succeeds in doing so, he is disowned.**

 **Daddy Bailey is harsher than he is in canon (although he isn't really a great parent in the show either) to influence Clay's decision to become a villain**

Chapter 1- Clay : Lonestar

It was one of those wicked hot days that reminded Clay of Texas, and he hated it. Days like this made folks unreasonable and crabby, so Clay always found himself braving the unbearable weather outside instead of braving the unbearable company of his miserable family, who seemed driven to pick more fights than usual. (as unbelievable an idea as that was.)

Even though he wasn't in Texas, Clay found himself leaning against the entrance of the temple grounds, recovering from another night of lost sleep. Whenever he dozed off, the furious screams of his father filled his head, making his dreams brief and unbearable. In all honesty, the screaming hadn't really stopped since he'd left the ranch a few days back, knowing he couldn't and wouldn't return, his back turned to his father, who snarled obscenities at the rapidly disappearing dragons.

" _Lord knows what I've done to deserve a traitorous thieving son like you!" Daddy Bailey had spat furiously. "I raised you your whole miserable life and you repay me by stealing the family heirloom! Well boy, you'd best stand by this lot you've chosen, cuz' you ain't no son of mine, so don't think you'll get nothing from me! And don't think anyone else's gonna help you, there's more than enough rejects like you than the world knows what to do with!"_

 _With that declaration, the elder Bailey turned his back to his former son and went back inside his house. In his wake Clay's friends redirected Dojo in the house's direction, (Dojo requiring less convincing than he usually did) and despite their silent, unreadable faces, Clay could see their anger better than a hawk could see its unsuspecting prey, a comparison which unnervingly matched his friend's collective mood as they sped towards the house._

 _An unshakeable feeling of emptiness made Clay feel like a sandstorm of grit had lodged deep in his throat, but he managed to spit out his protests. "Ain't no point." He croaked weakly, but with an uncompromising tone. "We got the Star Hannabi, we got no more reason to stick around." Three mouths opened to argue, but they all snapped shut as Clay's tiredness became apparent after he slumped against the back of Dojo's head. There was a moment of silence as Dojo hung uneasily in the air, until Raimundo finally nodded, a uncharacteristically grim expression marking his face. "Well, he'd best hope he doesn't run into us again, or he might find a few tornados heading his way."_

It had been a few days since then, although Clay had lost track of the number, too distracted by visions of the past. Mostly he dreamed of his disownment, the incident playing over and over like the old western movies Clay watched as a kid that would sometimes rewind a few scenes back by accident, but once and a while he found himself in other memories. often it was the night Jessie ran away, sometimes it was smaller but still painful memories, the times his Daddy squeezed Clay's shoulder too hard, or called Clay dumb, or sometimes it was just feelings, like the cold, stomach clenching fear that arose when Clay was worried Daddy might discover another one of his sons "unmanly" hobbies and ban his son from said enjoyments.

Clay found himself growing more and more useless, barely able to even complete his chores, as his sleep became worse. While he avoided his friends, who after being dodged a few dozen times seemed to sense Clay wanted space, Fung wasn't to be ignored so easily. While Clay had always felt wary around Fung, only leaving to train with him in China to escape his father, his recent confrontation with Daddy left him with little tolerance for Fung. The man hit fast with little to provoke him, something Clay was starting to see more of since he had become more sluggish and tired, and it reminded him too much of home.

This distaste for Fung was what lingered in Clay's mind when he packed his bag with enough supplies to keep him alive for a week, (Clay was too tired to be concerned about what would happen to him afterwards) and to hide it in one of the bushes in front of the temple, where it waited for him when he was ready to leave. Clay felt a pang for his friends, and he had debated asking them to come with him, but he knew that with the Shen Gong Wu they had collected already that they would want to stay, so he didn't even ask. It felt cowardly to leave without even leaving a note or anything, but somehow he felt like a goodbye would make things worse. ' _If I leave suddenly, they might be able to forget me quicker. I'm not being selfish, I'm being selfless'._ None of these statements felt true, but Clay figured he'd have time to think about it all when things made sense again, that is, if he ever reached that level of peace again.

During his stormy reflection, he hadn't realized someone was standing beside him until they shifted uncomfortably, the slight motion prompting Clay to turn to his uninvited company. Omi stood scowling at the horizon, not immediately aware that he had caught Clays attention, and seemingly deep in thought. ' _That or he's just trying to concentrate on something other than the heat. I get that he wants to be the greatest Heylin warrior of all time and all, but he doesn't have to wear those heavy robes of his all the time, especially on days like this.'_

Shaking this thought, he struggled of something to say to his friend, which was hard to do with the guilt of his scheme churning uneasily in his stomach, but he eventually started off by clearing his throat, both to help himself speak and to catch Omi's attention.

"What brings you outside on a day like this, partner?"

This awkward greeting was met with a huff of annoyance.

"Whatever it is that motivates you to burn yourself to death I suppose. I have come to inform you that if you continue to act so foolishly then I will have no choice but to knock the dying nightlights out of you until you learn to act wiser."

Clay was too surprised by Omi's unusually hostile comment to correct his language, (Omi had probably meant "living daylights") as he had grown used to more gentle and supporting behavior from his friends since what happened in Texas. Despite his increasingly sullen disposition, Clay couldn't help but be a little touched by the small gestures sent his way. Omi cooked breakfast for the team, (it was all vegetarian and somewhat bland but at the least was edible, more than could be said about anything Kim or Rai made) how Raimundo got Clay a new hat, (with a sheepish note apologizing for filling his old one with milk) and Kimiko making up any chores Clay couldn't bring himself to finish. (which wasn't many, as even in his downtrodden state Clay refused to not pull his weight)

Clay, puzzled over Omi's sudden change in attitude, bit the edge of his cheek uncertainty, before slowly shrugging his shoulders.

"I reckon it's not your business how I spend my time kid, but thanks for checking on me I guess. Anything else I can help you with?"

Omi, hot and frustrated, responded by roughly pulling Clay's shirt sleeve, and snapping

"You could help by coming back inside you….hútú dàn… hùtu….hú- dummy! I am losing patience with your stubbornness!"

Regardless of his faltering halfway through, Omi's stormy expression remained throughout the exclamation, and

Clay, choking back a sob for a friend he knew he'd miss, softly chuckled.

"hútú dàn? Haven't heard that one in a while, you really that frustrated kid?"

Omi only spoke Mandarin when he was particularly upset and found English too weak a language to express the extent of his unhappiness, in the same way that Rai and Kim would snarl obscenities in their own languages when they were livid, or how when they talked to themselves, the three of them would occasionally drifted off into other languages. (When Kimiko came up with battle strategies she always became too concentrated to speak anything that took more effort than Japanese, and had to stop her work to talk to her friends.) Since all four of them spoke English, it quickly became the 'official' language spoken at the temple, something Clay was slightly ashamed to admit he had been relieved when it was decided, as he was embarrassingly terrible at learning other languages.

Omi growled and waved his hand dismissively at the subject.

"You are attempting to distract me from my mission! It is true that I am most frustrated, and it is because my moronic friend is letting letting his past hardships destroy him! And before you say you are doing no such thing, let me remind you- which one of us is standing in the blazing heat with no protection like an idiot?"

Clay rolled his eyes but managed to reply in an almost genuinely good natured tone.

"That'd be both of us lil' partner. But if you're in such a twist 'bout it, we can talk by the tree, or you could head back in."

Omi, clearly unhappy about not achieving total victory, seemed grudgingly willing to accept this compromise, quickly dashing to the nearby huangshan pine, and by the time Clay had lumbered over to it, Omi was resting on one of the lower branches. Clay had just sat down, back to the tree, when Omi bounced onto his head, where he then proceeded to sit. Grumbling about how his hat couldn't take this type of abuse, Clay was once again caught off guard when Omi abruptly spoke.

"It's what happened between you and your father isn't it? That's why you've been avoiding us and acting so strangely."

Omi's voice was soft, and Clay had a feeling he was trying not to upset Clay, and though he felt like should have been, he couldn't muster any strong emotions in response to Omi's question. Clay slid down the tree a little, startling Omi into clinging to Clay's hat, but didn't respond. Omi steadied himself again before continuing.

"His opinion meant a lot to you didn't it? I saw the way your face fell when he…..said the things he said. Don't misunderstand me, nothing he said was even remotely true, and your father is a fool if he believes any of it, but I just don't understand….."

Clay almost looked up with the intention of addressing his friend, before remembering that doing so would only disturb Omi. Clay instead sighed, sluggishly trying to understand what Omi was trying to say before giving up.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I ain't all that sure what you're getting at Omi."

There was silence for a moment, and Clay was starting to think about asking Omi to get off his head, (not that he was particularly heavy, but he was worried about how his hat was taking the additional weight.) when Omi spoke up again, his voice unsteady and low.

"He would have taken you back if you'd left the team. You could have spat in our faces, saying you'd never liked us anyway, and that you hoped to never see us again, and he'd have let you back. I don't know why you'd chose us over your family."

Clay let the question hang in the air briefly, before reaching over his head and grabbing Omi by the front of his shirt, and gently placing Omi, who's previously vulnerable sadness was now replaced with squawking anger, on the ground in front of him. Before Omi could attack Clay for such outrageously disrespectful behavior, the cowboy placed his hand on Omi's shoulder, stopping him before he could do anything.

"He wasn't my family Omi. He was a long time ago, but he stopped being that even before I met y'all, and it was by his choice. I'll admit, It hurts like hell because he used to be family, and it still hurts that I couldn't be enough for him. But I made my choice, and I never regretted it, and don't you dare think I ever will, because the four of you done more than he ever did. He may have raised me, but he never did much for me."

Clay had hardly finished when Omi shook Clay's hand off him, responding with furious confusion.

"But you can't just get rid of someone who raised you! You owe them your loyalty and you should be glad to give it to them! Even if they call you names or hit you or never let you forget the things you hate about yourself, you can at least know you'll always have them! Even if someone new is nice to you, and you really like them, why would you risk losing that security for someone who might leave….."

Omi's voice had grown gradually shakier, until he could no speak coherently, and with a frustrated growl, the boy crossed his arms sullenly and glared at the ground. As tired and hopeless as Clay felt, he felt a shift in the conversation, and he recalled how much Fung, the man who raised Omi, reminded him of Daddy. With the confused but passionate way Omi had responded to Clay, it seemed that the boy had at least partially aware of these similarities, but was still too uncertain and afraid to really comprehend it.

Part of Clay wished Kimiko or Raimundo was here instead of him, as they always seemed to know what to say, a skill Clay was painfully aware he lacked. However, he also knew that they wouldn't understand Omi's pain, because even though their lives hadn't been all that easy, they had always had families that loved and supported them, something neither Clay or Omi really ever had. So as Omi continued to stare daggers at the ground, Clay struggled to find the right thing to say

' _I can't talk to him about Fung directly, he'd rush to defend him and would probably shut me out from this problem.'_

Clay mused with an unpleasant familiarity. ' _If I want to help him, I have to find some other method.'_

Omi still hadn't changed his position, but he seemed less angry, which would have been a welcome change if he hadn't become so dismal. His face has morphed into a somewhat composed frown and sat up somewhat straighter, although his dignified air couldn't hide the way his lips twitched, his soft sniffles, or the wetness he kept rubbing out of his eyes.

Looking at his friend reminded Clay of himself, when he had been younger, more scared, and more desperate for help that he knew he would never reach out for. Whether it was from a neighbor, a teacher, a family member, or even a goddamn stranger, Clay had been the type to just hope for someone to save him from his father instead of thinking about saving himself.

It hadn't really been until Jessie left home that Clay started to realize that he was the only one who could help himself. This realization was what led Clay to run off and join Fung, and in turn lead him to a group that had become Clay's friends, and in all honesty could be considered family, but it also had made Clay even more reserved than he had already been, and meant it had taken longer for him to trust his team, and for them to trust him. Regardless of how he felt now, Clay knew his past self would likely have never listened to someone, because he needed to grow on his own.

Still, he had always wished someone had tried to help, and looking at Omi he finally thought of where to start. Clay didn't try to reach for Omi to reassure him with a pat to the shoulder or a hug or really anything that might startle the clearly distressed boy, but he did move closer, which worked for catching Omi's attention.

"Yeah, it's definitely tricky kid. When you've only known a few people in your life anyone new makes you uneasy. It's a pretty big risk for sure, especially since you don't know if you're just trading in one set of problems for a worse one. When I first came to the temple-"

Clay paused briefly, having almost confessed how quickly Fung reminded him of Daddy, before remembering the reason he was speaking so carefully. Coloring a bit, Clay felt some of his confidence dwindle, and he shifted uncontrollably.

Omi, in contrast, seemed somewhat more at ease, with a more relaxed posture and a curious expression.

"You had doubts about making friends as well?" Omi asked, a hint of hope creeping into his voice.

Clay, realizing that he had not only avoided discussing Fung, but also connected with Omi, slowly nodded, smiling shyly. "I didn't really know much about y'all, except that we'd be training together. When I found out what sorta life we'd be living, I was even more hesitant. Being a villian was something that took a while to get used to, and the three of you took to it like ducks to water, and I wasn't sure what to make of that."

Omi didn't seem bothered by this confession, instead nodding thoughtfully. "I had different doubts than you. I was most hesitant and annoyed about working with unskilled and strange teammates. When I wasn't afraid the three of you would slow me down, I was confounded by your unusual ideas, habits and peculiar phrases and word usage."

Clay bit his lit to try and tried yo prevent himself from laughing, but couldn't repress a chuckle, and teasingly remarked

"Glad to see you eventually overcame your initial distaste for us partner. Gotta admit, friendship kinda sneaks up on you like that, huh? Once it's there it's hard to shake off, like leech or something."

Omi wrinkled his nose in distaste and shuddered, prompting a few more chuckles from Clay, an action rewarded by an annoyed shove from Omi. A moment of peaceful quietness passed between the two friends before Clay, confident due to the success of the conversation, boldly went for a point he desperately wanted to get across to Omi, and after turning to look away, he started.

"The thing about letting go of old people in your life," he started slowly. "Is that you have to act in your own interest. If somebody's dragging you down, you can't carry them with you all the way. I mean, it's one thing if someone's going through a rough time, but they've gotta get back up eventually. If they don't, they're just taking from you all the time, and that just ain't right, even if they've been good in the past."

Clay felt the urge to look at Omi, but knowing that if Omi wasn't receiving this well, he'd lose spirit, Clay pushed on.

"My Daddy might have raised me, but that doesn't mean I owe him my life. A parents supposed to raise you so that you can grow up and go your own way, not to make them their own personal servants. With my Daddy, he wanted someone exactly like him, and wasn't afraid to hurt me if I didn't meet his expectations. I could have lived like he wanted me to, but I realized that Daddy cared more about himself and what he wanted more than he cared about me, and I decided I couldn't keep putting my Daddy's needs above my own. It wasn't easy, hell, coming back with y'all and having second chance was terrifying, but I had to leave, and so I did."

Clay, finishing on a stronger note than he'd initially hope for, still didn't look at Omi. Even though he'd done his best, he had no clue if Omi would understand what he was saying, and he was painfully aware that the type of message he was sending could typically only be learned through harsh and painful experience. Still, he hoped Omi had gained something from his speech, and gave him time to think it over.

As minutes passed, Clay pushed back the unease from waiting for Omi's reaction, instead trying to maintain an unwavering expression to match his strong beliefs. Eventually Omi's spoke, his voice carefully controlled.

"That was…. a satisfactory explanation. Thank you Clay, I think that I now have a better understanding of your actions. I cannot say that I understand what you are going through, but I believe you acted correctly. Your honor is to be admired."

Clay wasn't all that sure Omi was being completely honest, noting the way Omi had paused when he said he didn't understand what Clay was going through, (especially with how upset he had been earlier) but when he looked into Omi's eyes there seemed to be a glimmer of respect shining in them. Overall, it was difficult to gauge how the discussion had affected Omi, with the confirmation of support Clay's action, but no indication that he could relate to it outside of the effort Omi took to neutralize his voice and expression, which he only did when he was conflicted about something and wanted to hide it.

Feeling somewhere between satisfied and disappointed, Clay was glad that he seemed to get through to Omi a little, but he wished he could help his friend more.

Though he wasn't sure how to do that, he suddenly remembered that he was about to do something that would hurt him even more.

' _If I leave now,'_ Clay realized guilty, his plan to leave the temple resting uneasily in his head. ' _Then everything I've said won't mean anything. I'll be leaving him with Fung, who'll probably find out what I've said and twist it in Omi's head until he would rather die than leave him.'_

Clay didn't want to stay with Fung, in the same way he didn't want to stay with Daddy, but he didn't want to leave his friends, especially Omi, with him either. A sudden resolve flared throughout Clay, as uncompromising as the summer desert was hot, and Clay knew that later that night he'd retrieve the supplies bag he'd left in the bushes and bring it back inside. As his Daddy had said, Clay had chosen his lot, and now he was going to stand by them, regardless of how much he disliked Fung. Not that he was going to roll over for the man, next time he messed with Clay or his friends Clay was going to hurt him back.

Clay realized that while he'd been thinking Omi had been watching him intently, and his face heated up with embarrassment. Sensing he had made him friend uncomfortable, Omi rushed to reassure his friend, a sheepish expression on his face.

"I was only trying to understand what you were thinking! You had a most strange expression, and I wasn't certain what you were thinking about. I'm sorry if made you unhappy with what we talked about, I only wished to help you!"

Strangely comforted by the fact Omi had just as much difficulty understanding Clay as Clay did with Omi, he waved him off kindly.

"Actually, it was kinda nice to talk about, and I imagine a bit helpful too, so I'm not opposed to these types of talks. As long as you leave me alone if I tell you I don't wanna talk about something that is. But don't worry about knowing if I want to be alone, If you don't pick up the message, I'll be sure to send you a knuckle sandwich to help you figure it out."

Omi shook his head. "Do not trouble yourself. You cooking is quite exceptional, but that sandwich sounds most unappetizing."

After laughing for a few minutes, Omi eventually figured out that he was somehow the reason for Clay's laughing fit and tackled him angrily, an act that would have knocked over anyone smaller, but only resulted in more laughter from Clay. Omi took to attacking Clay from all sides, which eventually ceased with both boys being to hot to fight any longer. Laying down to rest, Clay eventually couldn't stop himself from teasing Omi more.

"So when you were staring earlier…. did you figure out what I was thinking?"

To his surprise, Omi didn't seem annoyed or embarrassed, instead smiling broadly.

"I believe so. I think that through careful analysis, I have discovered your innermost desire."

Feeling somewhat suspicious, Clay still responded.

"And what what that be, partner?"

Leaning in Omi adopted a serious expression, and whispered

"What you wish for most of all…."

Suddenly, Omi swiped the hat from Clay's head and bolted towards the temple, stopping briefly at the door to call out to the startled cowboy.

"Would be to go back inside, and away from the heat!"

Figuring this was revenge for picking Omi up earlier, Clay wasn't mad at his friend. However, upon reaching the door and finding it locked, Clay's patience quickly wore thin. Luckily for both Clay the door, Kimiko came to investigate why someone was slamming against the door, and promised Clay that he could come back in if he took a shower, noting that if he smelled as bad as Omi (who she'd also bullied into bathing) that she wasn't going to let him stink up the temple.

By the time Clay had retrieved the bag from the bushes, he'd spent the rest day (after showering) with his friends. He didn't have much to say, but they seemed glad to just have his company. If Raimundo and Kimiko wondered about why Omi seemed less surprised by Clay seeking them out than they did, they saved it for later, perhaps too afraid that Clay would leave again to risk asking. Still, Clay had a good time, and tried his best to reassure his friends that he was alright.

That night he slept, and he dreamed about nothing.

—

"I can't say it stopped hurting. But it's more like an old scar than a bleeding wound these days, so I guess it's progress."

Clay confessed, having hardly moved since he'd started telling the story to Kimiko and Raimundo, the former staring intently at Clay, and the later seeming deep in thought. Through hearing the story had answered questions they'd had about that day, (Clay having been right that they'd been too afraid to ask, and by the time they were comfortable asking him, they'd forgotten) but it also clearly hurt them as well. Clay didn't offer any more insight about the day, and although he didn't seem as sheepish as he was at the beginning, it was clear that he'd told all that he wanted to tell.

Still mulling over everything they'd heard, it was hard to Kimiko and Raimundo to think of their own story, Clay's being as personal as it was. Still, Kimiko seemed to remember something, and a smirk spread across her face.

"My story's nowhere near as good as Clay's, but since I've got to share something, might as well be this."

With Clay and Raimundo's attention on her, Kimiko continued.

"So it wasn't long after I'd won the golden tiger claws, after figuring out how to use the tangled web comb, and unfortunately for us, April fools caught us by surprise….."

—

 **And that's a wrap folks! This took way longer than I wanted, and is pretty long, but it turned out ok!**

 **Next chapter is from Kimiko's perspective, and if you're curious about what she meant about April fools, it's inspired from a post about this AU under Dragonnutt's tumblr, regarding that day.**

 **Thank you for reading and for your support!**


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